New Zealand healthcare educator lures Vietnamese caregivers with 1,000 scholarships

Kalandra Education Group, an educational organization that offers healthcare training programs in New Zealand, announced on March 19 that the scholarships are available to candidates aged 17 to 55, with a priority for those from remote, rural, and island areas, orphans, families with many children, or parents who are unable to work due to illness or disability.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or be expected to graduate from high school within 10 months. Additionally, candidates need an IELTS score of 5.5 or a PEIC English certificate score of 42.

If they do not have an IELTS score at the time of application, they can submit it within six months.

If selected, they will study in Vietnam for 36 weeks in Vietnam via online format before being brought to New Zealand where they will be trained for 11 weeks.

Upon completing the course, they will receive a certificate and can work in jobs such as elderly care, patient care at hospitals, nursing homes.

The tuition fee for the course is NZD17,500, excluding living and accommodation costs.

Christine Clark, Chief Executive of Kalandra Education Group, said New Zealand has been facing a shortage of healthcare personnel since after the pandemic.

An aging population and increased life expectancy have led to more people needing elderly care services.

Official data shows that by 2026, the country may need an additional 12,000 to 20,000 people requiring care services. The demand for healthcare assistants is expected to increase by 50-75%.

According to the World Bank, people aged 65 and above accounted for 16% of New Zealand’s total population of 5.18 million in 2022.

Therefore, the school wants to train caregivers from Vietnam, firstly to meet the demand in New Zealand. In addition, graduates could become a workforce in elderly care in Vietnam.

Representatives from the school will come to Vietnam next month to implement the program, finalize the time and application channel, she said.

Vietnam’s Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said she had evaluated this proposal and would coordinate with relevant agencies to directly discuss with Kalandra.

Kalandra Education Group has been operating in the education sector since 1999 and focusing on healthcare since 2016.